(UNDATED) - Due to recent rain and unseasonable warm weather, the Indiana State Climate Office based at Purdue University, says abnormally dry conditions have been mostly eliminated in Southern Indiana.

Carey Schnieder, of DCBi reports, the U.S. Drought Monitor report last week showed that enough rain has fallen recently in the area to release it from abnormally dry conditions.
Ken Eck is the local ag and natural resource educator for Purdue extension of Dubois County. He says that although a lot of heavy rain has hit the area, steady light rain is still needed for the best spring crops.

Warm weather January 8th through the 12th melted snow and allowed the ground to thaw. Light rain during the period gave way to heavy rains January 13 and of course yesterday's nearly 2 inches helped matters even more.

Eck says there looks to be enough rain fall forecasted to stay out of drought conditions, but he still hopes for more gentle rain to soak into the hills. He says the rain outlook for the year looks average without the extremes of drought or flooding.

Most of Indiana is out of abnormally dry conditions. Although, Northeastern Indiana has improved from moderate drought to abnormally dry. That part of the state is still in need of about 1½ inches of rain.